5 Simple Sunburn Hacks to Help Ease the Pain

So you stayed out in the sun a little too long, forgot to wear sunblock — and now you’re completely sunburnt. We get it. It happens. Sure, there are tons of ways to protect yourself (and some not-so-obvious sun protection methods as well). But sometimes we make mistakes, and before we know it, we are twinning with Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob Squarepants. No judgment over here.

Now you’re sporting really red, sore, itchy, peeling skin that looks terrible with this season’s off-the-shoulder tops and spaghetti-strap slip dresses. What do you do when the damage has been done? We’re sharing some useful hacks and DIY remedies that will help ease the pain and minimize that awful lobster redness we all know and hate.

1. Aloe Ice FTW: Cold compresses are really great for diminishing some of the redness and swelling that comes after too much time in the sun with too little SPF. Kick your compress up a notch by adding aloe vera gel (get it straight from the plant or buy a bottle at your local health food store) to your everyday ice cube tray before putting it in the freezer. Aloe contains over 150 nutrients, some of which help ease the effects of sunburns.

2. Cucumber Slices for Days: That’s right. The veggies that work overtime when deflating the shopping bags under your eyes are great at relieving sunburns for the exact same reason. Each slice contains natural antioxidants that kickstart healing and pain-relieving properties to get rid of the discomfort. You can slice a cucumber and apply directly to your sunburn or blend up a cucumber and apply the paste to your scorched skin.

3. Oil and Vinegar for Your Skin, Not Your Salad: Apple cider vinegar, or ACV for the uninitiated, is a multipurpose product that does a lot of heavy lifting. Much like coconut oil, there isn’t much that it can’t fix. In addition to being great for your face, diet and hair, it’s also ideal for after-sunburn care. ACV works as an astringent to reduce inflammation and help your skin heal. Meanwhile, coconut oil helps moisturize your skin and reduce all that ugly peeling. To apply, fill a spray bottle to the halfway mark with ACV and top off with water. Spray directly onto sunburned skin and then slather on some coconut oil to get your skin back to normal in no time.

4. Corn Starch Sprinkles: You’re tired, burned, red and just want to crawl into bed and crash, but you’re worried about spending a night tossing and turning in sheets that now feel like a burlap sack. The simple solution to your problem is to sprinkle your sheets with powder. Well, not just any powder — corn starch. Before hitting the hay, shake some corn starch onto your sheets. The powder helps to minimize painful, burn-irritating friction while you snooze.

5. Spray, Spray, Spray: Sunburns are hella inconvenient and sometimes they are located on parts of your body that aren’t easy to access. Prepare this sunburn spray to make those annoying burns easier to reach and soothe. The spray contains water, aloe vera gel, lavender oil and peppermint. The lavender oil soothes skin while the peppermint oil gives your scorched skin a nice, welcome cooling feeling.

What are your favorite sunburn hacks? Follow us on Pinterest for more beauty secrets!